Mission Action Plans

In June 2007 at the Revitalising the Vision morning in Brighton Dome the bishops issued a challenge to the assembled clergy and churchwardens to prepare with their people a Mission Action Plan (MAP) and bring it back to them in a year’s time to Caritas 08 on Saturday 21st June 2008 in Brighton Centre. The great majority of churches responded at Caritas 08.

The purpose of ‘putting mission on the MAP’ is a better use of resources in our 389 parishes. We are being called at every level of the diocese to discern from among the many things that press upon our churches the things that matter most, to prioritise them and act to serve them. Holding on to this life-line of what we perceive as God’s agenda provides a welcome focus. Among other things it saves us drowning in the sea of endless expectations people put upon our parish churches.

How do we prepare a Mission Action Plan for our church?

To start
Review-plan-act is the recommended process. You will need to prayerfully review the past and present aspirations of your church. Then, armed with the review conclusions you should agree an action plan with attention to your deanery plan and to the diocesan Life Together vision. Finally your church acts on the plan, reviews the action as it goes ahead, reshaping plans and future action accordingly.

Who is involved?
Reviewing and planning are tasks for the incumbent and Parochial Church Council with reflection and input from the whole of the congregation especially new members. The action should involve the whole church.

How do we review?
Start by asking God in public prayer for guidance as the church enters a period of discerning the things that matter most among the many things that clamour for attention in its life and witness. Advent and Lent are liturgical seasons well suited to such reflection. Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life includes a 40 day spiritual exercise in discernment for individual use by church members.

It is suggested you review the life of your church and its mission opportunities possibly using the ABC of Christian reconciliation commended by the bishops as a focus for implementing the diocesan Life Together vision:

A Attending to God: Worship and spirituality; Christian giving and stewardship

B Building Christian Community: Lay and ordained ministry; ministry with children and young people and in our schools

C Commending God’s love for the world: Evangelism and apologetics; social responsibility in the community; partnership with the wider church

If you prefer you could do a SWOT analysis – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats - of your church at present. Alternatively you could run the Growing Healthy Churches or Angel of the Church exercise which serve church self-appraisal and the identification of appropriate forward priorities. The Giving in Grace stewardship resource may also be an appropriate aid.

How do we make our plan?
From the summary of the review it should not be too difficult to identify and prioritise specific future action by your church. It may help though to call in an external facilitator. Planning should go ahead on the basis of

• The perceived local mission challenges
• What your review has revealed
• Deanery and diocesan plans

The key tasks of your MAP should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. You will need to identify who is leading on the different tasks. The bishops are asking parishes for a three year plan running from autumn 2008. This will entail a detailed breakdown 2008-9 plan with two other planned areas for 2009-10 and 2010-11 which may change as time goes on. A MAP is not something set in stone but a dynamic, flexible tool.

How should we act?
When complete you should place a copy of your MAP in Church and explain it to the congregation - you will need their help to effect it! Celebrate the creation of the MAP liturgically, as a gift from God. Identify a contact person to liaise with the diocese over your MAP. New MAPs should be sent to Jennie Davies who copies them to rural deans and for the information of the bishop’s advisory teams, sending the originals on to area bishops.
Act on the plan from autumn 2008. Review the action at PCC during 2009 perhaps with the help of a specially created mission development group. Consider an externally facilitated review eg. employing one of the diocesan team of mission consultants in 2009 or 2010.

Where can we find help?
For more advice on mission action planning contact Jennie Davies on 01273 425686 or an appropriate Support for Parishes department (Mission and Renewal, Children and Youth, Church in Society, Adult Education, Schools, Ordained Ministry) at Church House. Peter Scofield on 01403 264789 serves as coordinator for MAP review assistance and also for external facilitation of the Growing Healthy Churches or Angel of the Church exercise.

Putting mission on the MAP booklet
Bishops’ September 2008 letter to PCCs on MAPs